J S Bolger

The most important relationship in the yard right now is with jockey Declan McDonogh. Across 77 rides together they have combined for 8 wins — that's roughly 1 in every 10, which comfortably outperforms the stable's overall average. When a jockey is winning at nearly double the rate of everyone else on your horses, you tend to keep booking them, and that partnership looks like the clearest route to winners for the foreseeable future.

One area where Bolger's record genuinely stands out is on normal ground conditions. With 5 wins from 42 races in those circumstances, that's a win rate of 12% — 1 in every 8 — which is a meaningful edge. It suggests the yard's horses are at their best when the track is neither too wet nor too firm, and it's the kind of detail that sharpens up significantly when you know conditions are likely to suit.

The one partnership that hasn't clicked is with Dawn Coming, who has run four times for the yard without winning. Four races is a small sample, but it's enough to say the combination hasn't found its best yet. Sometimes a horse simply runs its race and the wins come elsewhere — that's training.

What makes Bolger's profile genuinely interesting is the trajectory. This isn't a trainer coasting on a long-established reputation; it's someone in only their fourth season who has measurably improved, found a go-to jockey, and identified the conditions where their horses perform best. The building blocks are there. The next step is turning a 6% win rate into something that makes the wider racing world pay attention.